Got mine two weeks ago. Get one every year for the past 20 or so years. Doesn't hurt, I have zero reaction to the shot not even soreness and I haven't had the flu since I started getting it yearly. Bonus; insurance pays for it and there's no waiting at the pharmacy to get it.

The plan seems to be working so I'm sticking with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Deqlyn:
Just ressurrect the old thread of 20 pages of everyone not convincing each other to get or not get the flushot.

Seems were destined to do this every year...

Just like every hurricane season!

Oh, and for the record; got them every year while in the military.

Got out in 2001. No shots since and no flu.

Some years I get one, others I don't. I'm generally pretty healthy, don't get sick very much. I had a nasty reaction to a flu shot once - it only lasted about half an hour, but for that half hour I was pretty sure that I was dying. Our insurance plan offers them to us free here at the office, they're doing them a couple days from now but I haven't decided yet.

quote:

Originally posted by Expert308:
Our insurance plan offers them to us free here at the office, they're doing them a couple days from now but I haven't decided yet.

Do it if they give you a cookie.

Flu shot don't give you the flu. Some people might feel a little reaction as their immune system reacts to the vaccine and gears up to fight what your immune system thinks is the flu (producing antibodies, etc.), but you cannot get an actual case of the flu from the vaccine.

Wife and I got ours. Thank you Medicare. As she was a nurse and I a teacher, getting them was just about mandatory.
Last time I skipped a shot was about 1980. That evening I came down with the worse case of flu. Couldn't blame the flu shot, darn it.

I got my flu shot last week at work - they offer them to all employees for free.
I had the flu about 20 years ago, and it's not something I ever want to have again.

I know the shot isn't always effective, but at the least it will give my immune system a little exercise.

I work for a defense contractor. Last year they were doing some type of test with the CDC. They were doing "drive by" flu shots. You drove up in your car, filled out the standard paperwork, then pulled ahead into a car queue and got the shot.

They claimed it was a dress rehearsal in case there was ever some type of emergency. Unfortunately I had to actually go into the building this year. I preferred the drive by method.

Not getting the flu shot because "you've never had the flu for 20 years" is like not buying fire insurance for your home, because you've never had your house burn down....yet.

Good luck with that. Get the shot. Flu KILLS.

(take this from a family of docs)

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:
Not getting the flu shot because "you've never had the flu for 20 years" is like not buying fire insurance for your home, because you've never had your house burn down....yet.

Good luck with that. Get the shot. Flu KILLS.

(take this from a family of docs)

Would you spend money on the fire insurance policy if it only paid out 40% of the time and had the potential to bankrupt you?

I work in healthcare and they require I get it. Got mine last week.

Never had one, won't get one.

Nope. Well, we will see. When I was pregnant I did, when my boy was a baby, I did (since I was bringing him in for his). I haven’t the last couple years. But now that he’s in preschool, I might, at least for him.
At one time, I worked in an immuno lab, and I get the odds. It’s just a pain to get in there and do it, esp when I know THEY are playing the odds with the vaccine itself.. once we know the strain and they’ve geared up for the right version, I’m in. Other than that, I see no reason to trigger my immune system for no reason. I give it enough to do (I’m with the dirt and dirty doorknob crowd - as well as the five second rule group)...

I got mine at work today, and got a band-aid with dinosaurs on it. I think the dinosaurs are symbolism of the flu shot making me extinct...

I’ve had a flu shot 19 of the past 20 years which means I have antibodies for 60 to 80 flu strains. If they guess wrong, I still got my money’s worth (zero) plus I got the dinosaur band-aid snd I have antibodies for another 3 or 4 strains.

I have mixed feelings. Flu shots don't bother me, but I haven't had one in several years. I was seeing an acupuncturist for several years and his take was your immune system is similar to a muscle. If it doesn't get a chance to battle, it will be weak when it's really needed.

It depends on your age, health status and whether you come in contact with infectious people. When an infectious disease specialist tells you to get one because you will die if you get the Flu you follow his advice.

Everything is risk/benefit when it comes to these things. A few people will die and have terrible reactions, but most people will not. Flu still kills a lot of people. Being immune compromised, elderly and in poor health are serious issues. If these folks get the flu they move on to the other side.

My work offers free flu shots each year and I got mine last week. I never feel anything after the shot other than a sore arm for one day. I (knock on wood) haven’t gotten the flu for probably close to 10 years.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Never had one, won't get one.

Same.
It's the end of the world as we know it. But I feel fine.

Just to update this thread:
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Instead of cooking we go out to the Nursing home where my mother lives. She's 97 and doesn't need exposure to sickies. My wife made reservations for 11 at their "Manor House". Then she cut the reservations down to 3. It seems my son and his family are all six. Don't know about the family part, but they all have the same symptoms. He went to the doctor and they test for influenza. He came back positive for type A, negative for type B.

OK, so I'm talking on the phone with him, and asked if he's had his flu shot. NO. May or may not be a connection. In other news my wife googled flu shot. This years guess was type A. Still maybe not a cause/effect relationship.

I’ve just been getting a flu shot for a a few years. Doesn’t really hurt, and may save me some grief. Took a pneumonia shot this year too. Don’t care much for that one. Hurts a bit going in and the soreness lingers for a couple days.